Take a Chance On Me
by adrenaline1217
Summary: Yuwen Yue meets his penfriend, Xiao Yu, and causes a beatdown. Xing'er & Xiao Ce come to the rescue, but what happens next? Why did Xing'er leave Yanbei? And when Yan Xun finds out, to what extent will Yuwen Yue go to to make sure Xing'er is safe? XingYue all the way, with more (unlikely) ships on the way. Make sure to review; constructive feedback accepted! Hope you enjoy! ;D
1. Chapter 1: Shattered Truth

AN: Hey guys, this is adrenaline1217 here. I'm fairly new to this website, and this is my first story. I'm an overseas fan, as you can probably see cause I'm writing in English (wow that was blatantly obvious). I honestly have no idea what this is going to turn out to be, so please do leave a comment or some tips for where the story should go.

The story picks up from where Xing'er starts to have second thoughts about Yanbei and her loyalty (not to mention love) towards Yan Xun. Many thanks to rampantwolfhound for giving me really awesome advice on writing. Peace out!

Yuwen Yue sat at his mahogany desk, poring over numerous rolls of scrolls piled up in...well, a pile. He absent-mindedly scanned the bamboo scrolls, thoughts far away in another place.

 _Now that you're here in Yanbei as well, you have the chance to protect your beloved,_ he thought to himself. _Even though Xing'er may never return your feelings…_ Yuwen Yue dismissed the unpleasant thought. He would make sure she would be safe regardless of her thoughts about himself.

Just then, a loud knock came on the door of his spacious room.

"Come in," Yuwen Yue called out, pretending to be returning to his tedious task of reading. He wondered who it was - no one usually knocked on his door this late at night. His hand instinctively reached for his sword, just to give him a little extra protection.

The door opened and a messenger walked in, bowing his head towards Yuwen Yue.

"Master, someone asked for this to be passed to you," the messenger respectfully said and took out a familiar object from his sleeve, rendering Yuwen Yue almost speechless. He took the object in his hands. It was a multicolored wooden robin, one that he knew all too well.

"Who sent you to give this to me?"Yuwen Yue demanded, putting his calm facade back on.

The messenger cautiously lifted his head, clearly terrified of the young master of Qing Shan Yuan. Who wouldn't be?

"Young master, it-it was the princess of Liang. I-I thought the young master would know this?" The messenger stuttered, shaking nervously.

Yuwen Yue waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. The messenger then bowed once more and hurriedly scrambled out the door, as if he couldn't wait to get out of there.

Yuwen Yue slid out the secret compartment located in the underbelly of the bird, and took out the letter from it. He then slid the lid back, as if nothing had happened at all.

It was from his pen pal, one which Yuwen Yue had grown extremely close to over the years of their communication. Only the two of them had the wooden birds, communicating by sending messages through these seemingly inconspicuous robins. Over the years, it had become his prized possession discluding his sword and its mate.

 _Oh, wait_ , he thought. _Can Hong Jian belongs to Xing'er now…_

He folded the letter and threw it into the fireplace, dismissing all thoughts about his beloved. His pen pal had asked him to meet her alone. Judging by the address, the meeting place she'd suggested was pretty remote-it was one of the secret paths used long ago to get to Liang without passing by the guards.

Yuwen Yue frowned. _It could be a trap…_ His pen friend hadn't sent him any letters for quite a while-this one could likely be one written by somebody else who wanted to kill him. And honestly, the people that could possibly be behind this were too many to even attempt to count.On the other hand, his instinct told him that his pen friend would never do that sort of thing. Plus, if he did want to harm him, he would've done it long ago. So it should be safe for him to meet up with him. And he _did_ need a distraction from all that was happening.

Po Yue Jian in hand, Yuwen Yue cautiously approached the path that his pen friend had mentioned. After a brief walk, he finally spotted a distinct figure standing by a cluster of trees. The figure was clothed in a spy's wear- black and grey, hair done up in a tight braid.

Getting closer, he began to wonder who his pen friend really was. He realised that during their long period of communication, this was their first time meeting in person. He got more and more nervous about his pen friend's appearance-he could be someone he knew in real life.

Without warning, a knife suddenly flew out of nowhere, heading straight for Yuwen Yue. Being a master spy and an expert in martial arts, he managed to dodge it-but barely. Frowning to himself, knowing that he had most likely been tricked, Yuwen Yue charged his attacker, Po Yue Jian a bright flash of metal in front of him.

Soon, the battle became a flurry of kicks, swipes and slashes. As the battle advanced, Yuwen Yue realised that his opponent wasn't what he expected-the figure attempting to murder him was a female, had a small and petite body, but in it contained seemingly endless bursts of power.

 _Just like Xing'er…_ For a brief moment, Yuwen Yue wondered whether his attacker was his lifelong love, but quickly dismissed the thought. This person was not Xing'er-her attacking strategies differed from Qing Shan Yuan's.

Yuwen Yue attempted to banish the sudden nostalgia that came over him, but his longing for his beloved took over him, distracting him for just a fraction of a second. But that short moment was enough. His attacker disarmed him in a flash, holding a blade to his neck. Caught off balance, Yuwen Yue fell to the gravel floor, Po Yue Jian clattering onto the ground beside him, just barely out of his reach.

Looking up at his attacker, Yuwen Yue nearly gawked out of bewilderment. For crouching on the ground beside him, pressing a sword point to his throat, was none other than his lifelong enemy- the notorious princess of Liang-Xiao Yu.

Yuwen Yue knitted his slender eyebrows together, narrowing his eyes at his triumphant attacker.

"Why are you here? Where is my pen friend?"Yuwen Yue cautiously asked, knowing that his life could be taken any time soon-one slash of Xiao Yu's blade, and he would be doomed to the Yellow River for eternity. But he needed to know where his pen friend was-other than Xing'er and the other rich nobles of the country, his pen pal might be the only friend he had, even if they'd never met.

 _And they probably would never be able to…_

Xiao Yu removed the blade from Yuwen Yue's neck, slowly standing up.

"Well, to answer your second question...your pen friend is right here. Do you not recognise me, Yuwen Yue?" Xiao Yu gently asked.

Yuwen Yue was shocked speechless for the second time, then deduced that Xiao Yu had to be either going senile, or simply lying to him in order for him to place some trust in her.

But if Xiao Yu was trying to kill him and wasn't his pen friend, why would she come to this remote place? And why did she hesitate to kill him when she had the chance?

"You're Brother Yu…" Yuwen Yue could barely breathe, his hype in meeting his pen friend now replaced by disgust and shock.

 _Wait.. if Xiao Yu had known that I was her pen friend and recognised him, why didn't she stop writing letters to me?_ He pondered in his prodigious mind.

The ruthless princess of Liang smiled at him.

"Sorry for attacking you earlier. I was...going through some difficulties,"Xiao Yu briefly explained. Yuwen Yue guessed that she had been struggling with herself as whether to kill him or talk nicely, a feeling that he had so often experienced himself with Xing'er…

Which meant...An explanation for Xiao Yu's unusual behavior occurred to Yuwen Yue. _I'd acted the same way when I was with…_ No way. Never. She couldn't...and wouldn't, either.

"Yuwen Yue. Look at me." Xiao Yu's eyes bore into his, as if trying to pierce through his whole body.

Yuwen Yue shook his head, inwardly cursing and swearing at his horrible luck.

"I will burn the wooden bird. You should too, princess,"he said coldly, standing up to face Xiao Yu properly.

The princess of Liang narrowed her eyes, evidently gritting her teeth.

"Are you really going to break our friendship for that little maid of yours?"

"She's not my maid anymore." Yuwen Yue's tone was like ice.

"Oh, right," Xiao Yu said bitterly. "She ran away from you, betrayed you and even attempted to kill you. But yet you would still choose her over me."

 _See? I was right!_ His subconscious said in his head.

 _Shut up,_ Yuwen Yue replied. He slowly reached for his blade, attempting to grab his precious sword and make a run for it.

Out of the blue, Xiao Yu's sword point came slicing through the air, landing right between his fingers, narrowly missing his whole hand. He sighed, knowing that his attempt would've probably failed anyhow. Who knew how many crossbows Xiao Yu had to shoot him down with.

Xiao Yu glared daggers at him, standing over him as a predator would do to its prey.

"If I can't have you, then no one will," The princess of Liang looked at him one last time. "Any last words?"

Yuwen Yue growled menacingly, his voice a deep rumble.

"Yes, actually. I do have some last words."

Xiao Yu arched her eyebrows. She probably thought that he would've gone down silently, or even fighting to the very end, but she didn't expect him to go all mushy at the last few seconds of his life.

"I hope you burn in the pits of hell, Xiao Yu. Forever," Yuwen Yue spat out, poison in his glare.

Something in Xiao Yu just snapped. She was sick of living like this, chasing after a man whom she'd found out was supposed to be her lifelong enemy; ensuring that Xiao Ce was kicked out from his position as heir so her younger brother could take the throne; slowly cracking under stress from everyone around her and most of all, getting rejected by her enemy for a mere lowly _maid_.

The rage in her built up in her chest, penetrating her lungs until they felt like they were on fire. Xiao Yu couldn't take it anymore- she was _done_ with this.

Summoning her final wisp of sanity, Xiao Yu gathered up all her courage, lifting her blade above Yuwen Yue, ready to strike any moment. _You can do this_ , she told herself. _Just think of him as the enemy. Because he actually is._

Screaming one final yell of rage and hate, Xiao Yu thrust the blade down as hard as she could. Out of the blue, she suddenly felt something sharp knock her sword away. Opening her eyes, she expected Yuwen Yue to be dead, only to find her sword lying a few feet away from her, Yuwen Yue still perfectly fine, and that despicable Chu Qiao and her even more despicable brother right beside her.

Xiao Ce grinned at Chu Qiao, seeming to not notice that all of them were in dire danger.

"You could've used my sword, you know. You shouldn't have wasted your beautiful blade on that old hag."

"You dare-"

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue called out softly. Chu Qiao finally noticed the injured man half-kneeling on the gravel path, and seemed to sum up the situation in a fraction of a millisecond. Scowling fiercely at Xiao Yu, she looked the perfect picture of a brave and fearless female warrior. Minus the scowl.

Chu Qiao drew Xiao Ce's blade, and pointed it at Xiao Yu.

"No one, _no one_ ever gets to kill Yuwen Yue _but me_."

AN: Alright guys, I hope that cliffhanger wasn't too frustrating. I do hope that the characters were in well..character, and that they weren't that OOC because I try to include humor in whatever I write. Actually, I planned for this to be a oneshot, but after rampantwolfhound gave me some really awesome tips on writing and how to be a writer, basically, I decided to make it a story and see how it goes. See you guys in the next chapter! :D


	2. Chapter 2: Vertigo

AN: Okay, so I have a few things to clarify. Firstly, the Wifi in my house is really bad, so I can only upload my fics in school during break time because the library actually has decent Internet connection. And secondly, I do not have any schedule as to when I upload my fanfiction. So, new chapters could come out every few days, or a week, or a month. (I procrastinate.) Or I could just decide not to continue (Just kidding. I'm not that cruel.) And also, the characters are going to seriously be out of character in this chapter because I don't plan whatsoever as to what I should write. So the end result is a big fat mess as bad as my house Wifi. I don't want to go on and on, so I'll just stop here. Bye!

 _Screaming one final yell of rage and hate, Xiao Yu thrust the blade down as hard as she could. Out of the blue, she suddenly felt something sharp knock her sword away. Opening her eyes, she expected Yuwen Yue to be dead, only to find her sword lying a few feet away from her, Yuwen Yue still perfectly fine, and that despicable Chu Qiao and her even more despicable brother right beside her._

 _Xiao Ce grinned at Chu Qiao, seeming to not notice that all of them were in dire danger._

" _You could've used my sword, you know. You shouldn't have wasted your beautiful blade on that old hag."_

" _You dare-"_

" _Xing'er," Yuwen Yue called out softly. Chu Qiao finally noticed the injured man half-kneeling on the gravel path, and seemed to sum up the situation in a fraction of a millisecond. Scowling fiercely at Xiao Yu, she looked the perfect picture of a brave and fearless female warrior. Minus the scowl._

 _Chu Qiao drew Xiao Ce's blade, and pointed it at Xiao Yu._

" _No one, no one ever gets to kill Yuwen Yue but me."_

Xiao Ce quirked his eyebrows at Chu Qiao, grinning amicably.

"Really? No one else? So he can't even die unless you slit his throat or something?"

"Shut it,"retorted Chu Qiao, the corners of her lips slightly inclining upwards. The two of them seemed perfectly at ease, despite the fact that they'd just discovered an ambush targeting Yuwen Yue.

"Okay, geez. Just go on and fight my little sis or something already." Xiao Ce held his hands up jokingly as a sign of surrender.

"Ah. You don't mind..." Chu Qiao made a hand gesture at Xiao Yu, silently asking for permission to wound her.

"Knock yourself out," Xiao Ce cracked up at his little joke, flashing his companion a brilliant smile.

Chu Qiao shrugged, and charged Xiao Yu. They quickly advanced into battle, swords clashing against one another. Even though Chu Qiao wasn't used to fighting with Xiao Ce's sword and already seemed worn out from travelling- _she must've come quite a long way on horseback_ , Yuwen Yue thought, she still managed to retain her flawless combat skills and her unique feminine touch of grace, reminding him yet again for the umpteenth time why he'd fallen for her.

Yuwen Yue watched as Xing'er landed a series of slashes, uppercuts and kicks on Xiao Yu, slowly gaining ground on her. The princess of Liang responded quickly, retaliating with a hard blow to her side with the hilt of her sword. Xing'er staggered back a few steps instinctively from the impact, her glare as fiery as well...fire. Xiao Ce, being Xiao Ce, rushed up towards her and attempted to push his detestable sister away, only to be given a hard shove by Xing'er that narrowly saved him from being sliced into pieces by Xiao Yu's blade.

Xing'er, being the tough, athletic person she always had been, had somehow managed to regain her blade -Can Hong Jian- and passed Xiao Ce's weapon back to him. Looking like the pain in her abdomen from the punch to her gut was merely nothing more than a scrape or bruise, Xing'er continued the fight, resuming the avalanche of strikes between her and Xiao Yu.

 _I have to help her_ , Yuwen Yue's subconscious said. He nearly laughed out loud at the thought- _he_ was the injured one getting rescued, and here he was thinking about _helping her._

 _She does need help_ , his mind told him determinedly. _But then again..._

 _Xiao Yu, her attention being diverted from Yuwen Yue by Xing'er's deadly attacks,_ Yuwen Yue thought, _wouldn't be able to see me. So I could just slip off unknown…_ But Yuwen Yue knew he would never do that-he would hate himself forever if he did.

 _Yeah, but even if you do help them, so what? It's not like Xing'er would even say a simple 'thank you' after that,_ his subconscious chided. _It's best if you just escaped now…_

 _Shut up, me._ Yuwen Yue shook his head in defiance, getting up from the ground discreetly. Xiao Ce, who'd noticed his movements, winked at him with those narrow fox-like eyes he'd hated from the very first time he'd seen him. But if Xiao Ce was travelling with Xing'er and protecting her as well-although as of now it was the other way around-he _should_ at least try to be more nice to him.

 _Come on, Yuwen Yue. Why are your thoughts always about Xing'er?_ A voice in the back of his head spoke.

 _Because I love her,_ Yuwen Yue replied, making a mental note to just ignore his subconscious from now on. Then he realised he'd just said that sentence out loud, and Xiao Ce was now looking at him in an awkward manner, as if he'd gone insane.

Berating his subconscious for wasting precious seconds on debating with himself, Yuwen Yue quickly retrieved his beloved sword, slowly moving towards where the fight was going on. Xing'er, now wounded in several places, was straining to keep up with the pace of Xiao Yu, whose endless flow of energy seemed to come from her previous outburst of anger and rage.

Out of the blue, Xiao Yu slashed Chu Qiao's already wounded abdomen, creating a huge gaping wound in her side, the previously dried blood resuming its flow. Xiao Ce raised his sword and somehow managed to get a lucky hit on his loathsome little sister, but Xiao Yu's mindstate was too full of rage to even comprehend the pain. She pushed the youth out of the way-meaning that she wasn't that evil to kill her own brother-and headed straight for Chu Qiao.

Yuwen Yue suddenly felt a burst of rage surge through his entire body-because his former best friend was actually his lifelong enemy; because he'd been stupid enough to be tricked by that psychotic maniac; because his love was going to die- _and he couldn't do anything about it._

Adrenaline coursing through his veins; not stopping to think about his flawed plan; Yuwen Yue yelled a cry of defiance and rage; charging towards Xiao Yu. Without hesitating for even a moment, he raised his sword and landed it hard on the tip of her backbone with the flat of his blade-although he wouldn't have minded killing her, he very much doubted Xiao Ce would be pleased if he were to be responsible for her murder.

A sickening crack came from Xiao Yu's body, and she crumpled in a heap to the ground, her sword clattering a few feet beside her. Xiao Ce looked at him in shock, as if to say _Did you just kill my little sis?_

"Don't worry, Prince of Liang. Your sister is merely unconscious. She'll probably wake up in a few hours, with bruises and scars all over her body, a couple broken bones, and a very much injured self-esteem," Yuwen Yue explained nonchalantly, as if he didn't just knock out the highest-ranking woman in Liang.

Xiao Ce smiled faintly, scratching the back of his head, like that brief explanation solved everything.

"Well then, Young Master Yue. Will you join us on our journey back, or will you head back alone?" He asked.

"I just knocked your sister unconscious. Do you not care?"

Xiao Ce shrugged casually.

"Thought you would've figured out that I don't care by now,"he commented. "I mean, when your own brother calls you an old hag, your relationship is _definitely_ not good. And you still haven't answered me yet." There was a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"To answer your question, well-" Yuwen Yue looked at his beloved pointedly. "Do you really think that I would leave alone?"

Upon hearing this, Xing'er blushed and looked away, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

"Huh." Xiao Ce picked at his nails, the perfect image of a don't-carish, ignorant prince. "Well, I guess you'll have to hitch a ride, then. Where'd your horse go?"

Right. Where _did it go?_ Yuwen Yue thought. _Must've ran away from fright. Stupid horse._

"I have no idea. Maybe it ran off during the battle. Maybe it just got scared of your sister,"he deduced.

"Ah. Hey, Qiao Qiao, is it fine with you if I bring my sister back on my horse?" Xiao Ce asked her while attempting to put an arm around her neck. Xing'er swiftly elbowed him in the shoulder- _she must've not have had much energy left to beat him up fully,_ Yuwen Yue thought, then chuckled silently to himself.

"Don't touch me, Fox-eyes." She smacked him on the head once for good measure. She narrowed her eyes at Yuwen Yue, then folded her arms tightly, giving him that defiant, fearless look that had always made his heart twist into little shards.

"Why can't he ride with your _sister_?" Xing'er asked, saying the word 'sister' like it was deathly poison.

Xiao Ce sat down on a huge boulder, looking sideways at her.

"Qiao Qiao, I know you desperately want to ride back with me, but I feel that Yuwen Yue wouldn't be too comfortable with his enemy by his side." Xiao Ce gave her that devilish smile of his.

"You-"Xing'er glared at him exasperatedly. "Shut your mouth!"

"It's fine, Qiao Qiao. Denial is always the first step." Xiao Ce pressed his lips together, shaking with the effort to not burst out into laughter.

Not even hesitating this time, Xing'er gave the prince of Liang a hard kick in the shins, causing his knees to buckle and him to fall to one knee-a classic proposal position.

"I know you like me, Xiao Ce, but you don't have to propose now; I'd just say no anyway,"she mimicked the tone of Xiao Ce's voice and intonation, returning the devilish smile perfectly.

"How is it that you always get the upper hand?" Xiao Ce groaned, getting up while rubbing his knee simultaneously, sitting back down on the rock before.

"Prince of Liang. Have you made a decision yet as to our...seating positions?" Yuwen Yue interrupted, frowning at him. It was getting late, well over midnight in fact.

"I told you. Xiao Yu is my sister, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't mind sitting with Qiao Qiao, anyway."Xiao Ce waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Could you help me lift my sis onto the horse, please?"

Yuwen Yue looked fixedly at Xing'er, who in turn scowled back at him, then assisted Xiao Ce in heaving the princess of Liang onto his mare. Xiao Ce then grinned mischievously at Xing'er, urged the horse into a gallop, and left the scene in a cloud of dust, leaving only the two supposed enemies alone together to return themselves.

Xing'er sighed in resignation, then mounted her horse, gripping the reins in her hands. Her thin frame only added to her fierce beauty, making her look all the more like a fearsome warrior. She bit her upper lip, scrutinizing him like he was a naughty little child waiting to be punished.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

 _Shucks_ , Yuwen Yue thought. _She's still being hostile. When will she ever be nice?_

 _Maybe, but she'd saved you,_ his inner voice responded _. That means she still cares._

 _But it may be merely a coincidence,_ he realised. _And that if so, she would've saved me just because of her hatred towards Xiao Yu._

 _Whatever it is,_ Yuwen Yue concluded, _let's just go along with it._

Ending that thought with a furrow of his eyebrows, Yuwen Yue strode over to Xing'er, climbed on the horse and set off back to wherever she was heading.

Liu Xing- Xing'er's horse- galloped through dense forests and pebble-filled paths. They whipped through the night, the horse's feet practically not even touching the ground.

Xing'er clutched the horse's reins tightly in her hands as they travelled. Yuwen Yue had one hand on hers, something which she had apparently not argued about as he needed something to hold on to so he wouldn't lose his balance; and he strongly suspected that she would not be pleased if he'd held on to her waist.

"So, why are you following Xiao Ce now? Have you finally repented? Or is it that you're just accustomed to betraying everyone by your side after a certain period of time?" Yuwen Yue looked like he was trying to make small talk, but honestly he was actually curious as to the reason for Xing'er being with Xiao Ce.

"None of your business,"she muttered. Her voice seemed strained, like she'd over-strained herself. Then Yuwen Yue realised she had.

"Give me the reins," he commanded her. "Just tell me where you're going."

"Follow-follow Xiao Ce,"she mumbled drowsily. "Y-you should know how…" For once, she didn't argue with Yuwen Yue-meaning she was simply too tired.

Of course he knew how- the prince of Liang's horse hoofprints may not have been obvious to a normal person, but to Yuwen Yue, who'd been a spy all his life, it was essentially a piece of cake.

He felt a soft thud against his chest. At first he thought that Xing'er had been jerked by the bumpy road, but then he realised that she had fallen asleep against his chest. He could hear her loud breathing slowly become even as she rested on his broad chest.

Yuwen Yue gently put an arm over her waist as to not disturb her, and took over the reins. Following the imprints that Xiao Ce's mare had made in the ground, they once more resumed their journey to their destination.

Yuwen Yue smiled, a wide, brilliant grin that showed his pearly white teeth; something that he'd probably never done before in years. And for once, he was content.

AN: I had originally wanted to make it longer, but oh well, guess my writing skills just aren't up to the task. Not to worry-the next chapter will include an explanation as to why and how did XC and CQ decide to go to the forest/gravel path. Thanks to all the readers/reviewers and I really appreciate your support. One more thing: Because of my house's bad Wifi, I will not be able to answer any questions/reply to any reviews when I'm at home. Thank you all again! :D


	3. Chapter 3: Heart 2 Heart

AN: And...we're back onto another chapter of XingYue! Woohoo! (curse my optimism) I'm trying to keep up a weekly update schedule, but chapters may come out one or two days late because of my house wifi; like this one. :/ Don't like it, but there's nothing that I can do about it.

 _Yuwen Yue gently put an arm over Xing'er's waist as to not disturb her, and took over the reins. Following the imprints that Xiao Ce's mare had made in the ground, they once more resumed their journey to their destination._

 _Yuwen Yue smiled, a wide, brilliant grin that showed his pearly white teeth; something that he'd probably never done before in years. And for once, he was content._

Xing'er had slept for the whole duration of the journey and was still fast asleep, even though they'd already reached their destination- a luxurious residence fit for a king.

Which Xiao Ce will become in a few years; now that Xiao Yu is out of the way- _unless she ha_ s _a backup plan_ , Yuwen Yue thought. _Which is, honestly, highly possible._

 _You can't be certain about that, though,_ his mind told him. I _f so, Xiao Yu would've let herself get captured because she had some other motive to meet me, apart from...personal feelings._

 _But then again, tonight was the first time I've ever been tricked. Well, discluding all those times Xing'er fooled me. But still, if I got tricked by her the first time we met, then there's still a chance that Xiao Yu has more tricks up her sleeve._

Shaking off that thought, Yuwen Yue dismounted Liu Xing, and looked around at his surroundings, scouting the place to ensure that it wasn't a trap. Being satisfied that it was safe, at least for now, he gently eased Xing'er into his arms, carrying her bridal-style, being especially careful to not touch her wounded areas.

He carried her into the place, looking around for a suitable place for Xing'er to rest. Carrying her into a room that he found fairly decent, he then delicately placed her on the bed, pulling the covers over her. Xing'er tossed around in her sleep, occasionally mumbling incoherently- Yuwen Yue guessed that she was not having any sweet dreams.

Looking fondly at his beloved- or at least as fondly as a cold-hearted, supposedly emotionless spymaster could be, Yuwen Yue had the sudden urge to kiss her full on the lips.

 _Don't,_ he thought. _Xing'er probably only saved you because of her personal vendetta towards Xiao Yu. She definitely would not be pleased to find that you've planted a kiss on her_ mouth _._

Yuwen Yue sighed to himself, retracting his hand that had been about to caress her hair. Erasing all hopes of any sort of reconciliation with Xing'er, he got up from the bed and left the room, making sure he didn't wake Xing'er by doing so. He had to find Xiao Ce.

The prince of Liang had been considerably kind to not kill his sister; instead Xiao Ce had placed- no, thrown- his younger but much more vile sister into a cell located on the lower grounds of the manor he'd had his men build for future purposes. He was certainly glad he'd chose to build one- it had definitely come in handy.

 _See, planning for the future does work out sometimes_ , his mind told him.

 _Emphasis on sometimes,_ he replied. Being lazy and procrastinating is always better.

Even after two hours of snoring and low groaning, Xiao Yu, that despicable sister of his, was still unconscious- Yuwen Yue must've knocked her out pretty badly.

 _So_ old Xiao Yu _does love Yuwen Yue after all, huh,_ Xiao Ce thought. _Well, this is interesting. Although I suppose I can't kill her...she is my biological sibling, after all._

You see, Xiao Ce had already figured out the reason as to why that old wet blanket and his lil' sis would ever meet in private. They definitely had known each other for quite a long time and had gained each other's trust; if not, Yuwen Yue would've brought along his Yue guards; Xiao Yu would have done likewise too. Plus, Yuwen Yue must have had previously been in some way emotionally attached to Xiao Yu- even though at the time he didn't know that she was female- thus, he wasn't as alert as usual and was able to be tricked by Xiao Yu.

 _I mean, Iceberg usually wouldn't be this stupid,_ he thought.

All in all, there was only one explanation- that one of them had fallen in love with the other, and judging from what had just happened, Xiao Ce was able to confirm that Xiao Yu was the one that'd had a crush on that fuddy-duddy.

 _But honestly, I really don't see why anyone would ever like Yuwen Yue,_ Xiao Ce contemplated. _He's such a party pooper- all work and no_ fun _. And not to mention_ Iceberg _'s practically cold-blooded- I mean, just look at that dispassionate poker-face of his! What a stick-in-the-mud._

The scandalous prince of Liang stood in front of his sister's cell, pacing back and forth, occasionally resting on the bench conveniently placed beside the chamber. He didn't want to go to sleep- he wouldn't be able to anyway, what with all that was going on.

 _At least I have Qiao Qiao as my friend,_ he mused. _Even if she won't return my sentiments for her, we're still good friends, something which I guess I should appreciate._

 _Speaking of sentiments… I've yet to ask her why she so abruptly decided to leave Yan Xun,_ Xiao Ce realised.

See, Xiao Ce had been in Yanbei to run some personal errands, and also to see how Qiao Qiao was doing as the first female general in the city of Hong Chuan. Little did he know that Qiao Qiao would finally decide to come back with him and not follow that Yan Xun person. They'd used the back road to get out from Hong Chuan, reason being that practically everyone knew of Qiao Qiao- she was practically a goddess to them. Thus, with all the commotion that was sure to happen if they were ever saw together, they'd agreed that using the secret path would be much safer. But never in his wildest dreams would Xiao Ce have ever guessed that both his little sister and Yuwen Yue would be there.

Xiao Ce definitely hadn't expected Qiao Qiao to save that old wet blanket; he guessed that it was out of her own bad blood towards his sister.

 _Well, unexpected things happen. Who would've thought that you, of all people in the world, would be sitting in a basement, looking at your own sister and not harming her at all?_ His mind told him.

 _Touch_ è, he replied. Touchè.

Xiao Ce, becoming increasingly bored, decided to not watch the crumpled form of his little sister anymore and go for a walk around the place. After all, he had a disreputable reputation to maintain. He wouldn't be seen dead sitting by himself looking at an unconscious person, looking like he cared, even if that particular person was his blood relation.

Xiao Ce exited the stuffy prison-like enclosure, being glad for some fresh air at long last. He wasn't sure how Xiao Yu would endure the heat, what with the pathetic ventilation his men had built. He guessed they didn't have much time to complete the build, so naturally they'd chosen to finish the ventilation installations hastily, since...well, who cared how prisoners felt about the temperature in the room?

He walked up the stairs leading to the main corridor, enjoying the scenery at night. Everything seemed to have an extra touch of glamour to it in the dark- the moonlight also added a certain flair to the whole scene.

Breathing in the invigorating air, Xiao Ce strolled along the corridor, whistling a shrill tune as he went. The fresh air and cool weather reminded him of his home country, Liang. Well, to be fair, Yanbei was pretty close to Liang already, so the weather conditions would certainly be quite similar.

Too bad their winter is too freezing for my taste, Xiao Ce thought. Then he realised that he wasn't acting as a spoilt, discreditable prince- at least not now. No one would see him here, unless either Yuwen Yue or Qiao Qiao somehow managed to magically possess the strength to search the whole courtyard looking for him, which was almost physically impossible for them, even if they both were practically superhuman. After all, they had been through a lot today.

He took a left and walked onto a small bridge overlooking a garden filled with sweet-smelling flowers; they reminded him of the scent of Qiao Qiao's long, luscious hair. A small waterfall cascaded down into a pond, creating a peaceful rhythmic tune as the water splashed on the pond's surface. The whole scene looked like his palace garden back in Liang- a harmless utopian haven for nature to live in tranquility.

"It reminds me of Qing Shan Yuan," a cold, low voice sounded behind him. Xiao Ce could sense the nostalgia in his voice- although he didn't know what or where Qing Shan Yuan was, he knew how the newcomer felt- he missed home as well. Even though Liang was where all his problems had originated, and where his detestable family issues had yet to be resolved, his home was there. He belonged there.

Xiao Ce turned around and saw Yuwen Yue standing behind him, gazing at the scenery.

"The pond, waterfall, flowers- it's too similar. I...I miss the old days," Yuwen Yue said, walking up to where Xiao Ce was. He leaned against the railings of the bridge, glancing at him briefly before returning his gaze to the captivating scenery.

Xiao Ce presumed that he was talking about the days when Qiao Qiao had yet to flee to Yanbei and still was his bedchamber maid. During that time, he was still an ignorant prince, spending his days in the pleasurable company of the palace's finest women, although behind the scenes he'd plotted against his family, planning ways to vanquish those who dared challenge his royal position.

Yet now… Xiao Ce's thoughts turned to Qiao Qiao. He had fallen in love with her from the very moment that they'd met, when she'd defeated one of his maids, caused a huge ruckus and even throwing him off his horse. His chest still hurt from her hard punch to his ribcage, although the pain had reduced from a horrible throbbing to a slight pain whenever he arched his back.

But she had been with Yan Xun at the time, and so he'd put his sentiments for her at the back of his head and did his best to care for her wellbeing and ensure that no one was able to hurt her.

And now, she had chosen to walk a different path. Xiao Ce didn't know why she had chosen to leave Yanbei and go to Liang with him, but he was glad for the extra company. Since bringing along a huge amount of servants and bodyguards would attract a lot of unnecessary attention, Xiao Ce had given his maids and slaves emancipation papers and set them free, even though he could've asked them all to leave Yanbei through the main gates and return to Liang first. He'd only brought a handful of servants with him; they were all in this estate because Xiao Ce had ordered them all to set off first with a handful of guards; the main reason being as so to not attract too much attention. After all, with Qiao Qiao by his side, he didn't have to worry about security. Unless, of course, their enemy was someone who was after her and not him, although it would be hard to differentiate. They were both wanted dead by tons of people.

I've been influenced too much by Qiao Qiao, he thought. Setting a bunch of beautiful women free without even wanting them to serve me first. Not very in-character for someone who used to have tons of ladies in bed every day.

Qiao Qiao, you've changed me, Xiao Ce thought with a devilish smirk.

"What're you laughing about?" Yuwen Yue asked, frowning at him. Xiao Ce then proceeded to realise that he wasn't alone, and that his thoughts had likely been similar to the spymaster next to him.

Because only one person could make Yuwen Yue so nostalgic, the prince of Liang realised, chuckling inwardly to himself.

"Oh, nothing really, Young Master Yue," Xiao Ce smiled widely, giving Yuwen Yue his signature fox-like look. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Yuwen Yue's expression was unreadable.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied curtly. "I had a few things on my mind."

What do you mean "a few things" ?, Xiao Ce thought. The only thing you ever think about is your "Xing'er".

"Huh," Xiao Ce decided to go with being curt and polite. It'd worked out for him, so far. Plus, he was fairly certain Yuwen Yue would not appreciate him acting like they were best buddies.

Under the best circumstances, we're barely mutual friends, he mused. Under more unpleasant situations, we're either enemies on the battleground or rivals of love.

But since Qiao Qiao and I are at least pretty decent comrades, occasionally good friends, I should have the upper hand in whatever Yuwen Yue's going to talk about. I mean, unless the both of them have suddenly become intimate lovers or something like that, which is extremely unlikely. Mostly because Qiao Qiao despises him; and hey, the both of them are already enemies. Not to mention that Qiao Qiao will probably back me up; cause the last I saw, she was on my side.

"So, Young Master Yue, what things have you been thinking about?" Xiao Ce attempted to make small talk.

Yuwen Yue stared out into the distance, giving his usual impassive look. But this time, Xiao Ce could detect a slight sadness in his eyes; which in normal-person terms meant bawling his eyes out.

"I…"he sighed softly. "Nothing."

"How did you two know that I would be in that forest?" he asked suddenly.

"We didn't," Xiao Ce nonchalantly replied. "We met completely by chance."

Yuwen Yue furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought.

"Then… you're going back to Liang," he assumed. "You released your slaves and set off on this path back to Liang with Xing'er because going back through the main gates would attract too much attention, but you encountered Xiao Yu and I instead. But…"

"But why would Qiao Qiao save you? Or why would Qiao Qiao ever leave Yan Xun's side? Or why am I not in Liang?" Xiao Ce asked, sufficiently rendering Yuwen Yue speechless, something he had yet to see. "Well, you're absolutely right, for one thing. I did indeed choose to go back to Liang this way because Qiao Qiao's sudden appearance by my side would cause too much commotion."

"Why did you come to Yanbei?" Yuwen Yue asked, crossing his arms.

Haha, spymaster. Finally something you don't know.

"Oh, nothing much, just some personal issues," Xiao Ce waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal.

Yuwen Yue looked pointedly at him.

"And these personal issues wouldn't just happen to include visiting Xing'er, would it?" His voice was practically dripping with sarcasm, but his face was now a mask of amusement. Or, at least, the prince of Liang thought, as amused as Yuwen Yue can ever be. Which doesn't count for a lot.

"Hm. Perhaps so," Xiao Ce smirked, certain now that Yuwen Yue was being jealous.

"Prince of Liang." Yuwen Yue said calmly. "Are you in love with Xing'er?"

Ooh, Xiao Ce pondered. This is a tough one.

He cleared his throat and gave Yuwen Yue his warmest smile.

"Um. Well, as a matter of fact, I am. But-" Xiao Ce wagged his finger in Yuwen Yue's face at this point, "Since she's not in love with me, I have made the very courageous decision to protect her for all eternity. Also, we're good friends."

Yuwen Yue shook his head, seemingly becoming more and more disoriented by the moment.

"But..." Yuwen Yue held his head in his hands, closing his eyes in despair.

"Chill out, man. I know what you want to ask. Why did Qiao Qiao leave Yan Xun? Why does she still hate you but not hate me? Why are we both even having this conversation? I'm sure these are all but some of the questions you want answered," Xiao Ce resumed the task of picking at his fingernails, stepping one step closer to Yuwen Yue.

"...Not the last one," Yuwen Yue murmured indistinctly. Seemingly gathering his courage, Yuwen Yue turned around and faced Xiao Ce, arms now crossed in front of him, as if to say, You haven't answered me yet.

"Alright, alright, geez, I'll tell you the whole story." Xiao Ce jokingly held up his arms as a sign of defeat. "I went to Yanbei just to see how Qiao Qiao was doing, and also for some personal things. Honest. No diabolical plan this time."

Yuwen Yue quirked his slender eyebrows, looking fixedly at him. Xiao Ce guessed that he was about to say something along the lines of, Since when have you not had a diabolical plan? Or also possibly, You've got to kidding me.

"I'm being serious! Come on, can't you believe an old friend for once?" Xiao Ce spread his arms, giving Yuwen Yue his best innocent look.

"Fine. I believe you," the prodigious spymaster answered. "The last question: why did Xing'er choose to leave the prince of Yanbei's side?"

Xiao Ce had been expecting a question like this, so he wasn't surprised at all.

"Dunno. I went to see her, and after a brief reconciliation, she asked me when I was returning to Liang. I questioned her why would she ask me such a question, and she stated that she wanted to return with me." Xiao Ce shrugged.

"She didn't tell you anything as to why? Nothing?" Yuwen Yue leaned back against the railing, looking down at the pond, where the small waterfall merged with the pond, creating splashes of water in symphony.

"Well, she did vaguely mention something about not liking the weather, but both you and I know that that's a lie." Xiao Ce flicked a strand of hair out of his face. "And apart from that, nuh-uh. Nada."

"Oh." Yuwen Yue, strangely, looked fine about that. More than fine, actually. The sadness had disappeared from his expression, replaced by a slight twinkle in his eyes.

Xiao Ce sensed that the conversation was now over,

"Anyway, my not-so dear Yuwen Yue, I have to go. Beauty sleep and things like that, y'know? Toodles!" Xiao Ce ended the conversation (read: interrogation) brightly, smirking as he headed off back to his room, totally forgetting that his abominable sister was still cooped up in the basement downstairs.

Yuwen Yue watched as Xiao Ce turned right and disappeared down a corridor, his figure gradually receding from his view.

He had wanted to discuss with the prince of Liang about why Xing'er had decided to leave Yan Xun's side. But apparently, it seemed, Xiao Ce didn't have the foggiest idea either.

Sighing with defeat, he walked the lengthy distance back to Xing'er's room. He entered the place and looked tiredly at his lifelong love, smiling faintly as he thought of her saving him.

Remembering the conversation that he'd just had with Xiao Ce, his mind flashed on one thing: that Xing'er hadn't told anyone about the reason for her departure. His smile grew, knowing that this meant that the reason for it was probably so unexpected that she didn't want to trust anyone with it. Which meant that she didn't trust anyone enough, which also meant that her trust for him wasn't so bad after all- I mean, she trusted me to take her back to wherever this is, Yuwen Yue concluded.

Bandaging his wounds, he winced as the cloth made contact with his skin. His thoughts turned to how he'd gotten tricked by his supposed friend, someone whom he'd trusted with all his dark secrets and thoughts for years. The smile instantaneously disappeared from his expression, replaced by a slight frown that conveyed his current feelings; although many would say that he didn't have feelings. After all, even the princess of Wei had called him Iceberg.

His sharp ears suddenly caught a low moaning sound. Looking up from his work, he saw that the gash in Xing'er's side had started bleeding again, blood gushing out from her abdomen. Not stopping to think about his own cuts and bruises, Yuwen Yue immediately went to her side and carefully applied the healing medicine he'd been about to use on himself onto her wound, making sure not to make it hurt. After the blood dried, he wrapped white cloth around her stomach, hoping that it would be enough to heal her temporarily.

Looking briefly out at the moon, Yuwen Yue calculated that it was approximately three hours till the sun rose. He'd completely lost track of the time, apparently.

I have got to get some shut-eye, he thought. But Xing'er's wound might bleed again…

Whatever, he decided. I'll wake up anyway.

Sitting down beside Xing'er on the bed, Yuwen Yue put an arm around her upper waist, ensuring that he didn't touch her injury. Resting his back against the pillow, he closed his eyes, knowing that if Xing'er were to make any sound, he would wake up in time to help her, no matter what.

After all, how could he ever not?

AN: Whoopee! Another chapter down! I'm sorry for the late update, but I had something on on Friday and didn't have time to upload this. I am very sorry indeed for not replying to your messages, but as I said, my house wifi is the worst, so...yeah. I will try to reply as soon as possible. Thanks for supporting my (horrible) work! :) I may not be able to update this week as I have a project coming up and don't want to get bad grades ;p.


	4. Chapter 4: False Pretence

I'M BACKKKK! WHOOP WHOOP

Sorry for not updating on time but I have a couple perfectly fine reasons. School let out so I couldn't upload, then I had a competition abroad, then we went on holiday, and the itinerary made us reach the hotels late at night and busy the whole day after, so…yeah. Also, I had writer's block. And a project due. And then there was Christmas. And guess what? was blocked in my country so I wasn't able to write or post or even read the awesome works of you guys. I didn't know this before because I was on holiday abroad and could access it from there, but once I came back the whole thing just crashed. But thank gods, somehow my current school is able to provide a secure connection to the site so I can finally post updates now! (I swear, I'm really not lying) :D Hope it will last long!

Also also also, I'm not very good at writing descriptive things so this first part of the story might be a little short, or weird, or whatever. Anyway. Read on. =P

Chu Qiao was in a dream. She didn't know how she knew, but she did for some reason, and it felt weird to know that she was dreaming but somehow not waking up. Because, well, that would be what she normally would do.

In the dream, she was on a grassland, running by herself as the wind whipped against her face, the grass tickling her feet as she sprinted past trees, land and everything else. Everything seemed to be in hyper-speed motion, falling behind her as if her incomparable speed made everything else seem insignificant. Dark figures ran alongside her, dissipating after a period of time, like they were unable to follow her lightning fast speed.

She ran and ran and ran and ran, gradually getting more and more tired. She tried to slow down, but she wouldn't- _couldn't_ \- stop, as if there was a greater force controlling her mind and body, forcing her to run at such a speed.

The sun glared down in her pale face, causing sweat to trickle down her face, appearing faster than she could wipe it off. She so badly wanted to get the heck out of this place, yet it felt as if her feet were permanently stuck on a one-way track, something forcing her to run continuously, something _so powerful_ that she just couldn't stop, no matter what cost it might cause.

Looking to her left, she found that there was one figure who was running at the same speed as her. He- _was the figure a he?-_ kept up effortlessly with her, running so close to her that they were almost blending together as one.

Chu Qiao looked back and found that another silhouette was running too, but he kept a speed such that he was only running a slight way behind her, as if he was doing it deliberately.

Then the shadow-like figure beside her disappeared, and the only one left was the one behind her. The figure solidified, morphing into someone she knew all too well.

But-and Chu Qiao wasn't sure whether she was hallucinating or not now- the figure kept changing shape. At first, it was a young boy with dreadlocks tied up with a number of beads inside- Chu Qiao recognised him as the Yan Xun she'd sworn to follow, the Yan Xun she missed, the Yan Xun _that he wasn't anymore…_ Chu Qiao wanted to stop where she was and ask _why_ this was happening to her, but she couldn't; her feet dragging her along faster than ever.

Then the boy changed form, turning into another nostalgic figure- the playful yet serious behind the scenes, both mastermind and scandalous prince- Xiao Ce. He ran faster than her, putting an arm around her neck as he went, pulling her along with him, a jovial smile on his face. A shiver ran down Chu Qiao's spine as she realised that his touch was piercingly cold. She tried to push him away, wanting to escape this seemingly endless prison that she was trapped in, but she couldn't, her arms suddenly losing all strength, her body gradually becoming colder and colder, fading from sight, ready to become a shadow of emptiness…

The figure- _should she call it Xiao Ce?-_ disappeared from sight, leaving her alone to run for eternity, until she faded away as well. She couldn't feel her legs now, running out of breath and strength and energy and _hope_ , the fire that once burned in her turning to no more than ice. She stumbled and fell to the ground, the churning blood in her veins no longer fiery or searing; the course she was once faithfully set on dissipating in a matter of seconds. Rain- _rain?_ -fell from the sky, even though there wasn't a single cloud in sight. Her clothes were soon splattered with heavy raindrops, mixing with her tears and sweat. She buried her head in her hands, crying her pain out to no one in particular, sobbing uncontrollably as rain splashed down on her.

Chu Qiao knew that this was a dream, that she would wake up sooner or later, that this wasn't happening to her, but _it was so real_ ; so real that she couldn't help but feel like she was part of this maniacal dream, that she would never wake up, that she would have to remain in this prison of grass and land for eternity…

Then a pair of hands grabbed her, hands that held warmth and comfort; hands that fit perfectly around her waist, hands that made her actually feel like she belonged...She turned around and saw Yuwen Yue, a faint but significant smile on his face. He was dressed in full-out spy clothing, Po Yue Jian at his side, sheathed but still deadly. He half-kneeled down beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist, murmuring comforting words in her ear, doing everything he could to calm her down.

 _Yuwen Yue...where am I?_ She thought, not bothering to push him away, so disoriented she was. _Where...how...why? Why am I here? Why are you here? Why is this happening?_

 _Why?_

Then the hands disappeared, dissipating into dust. Chu Qiao looked back at Yuwen Yue frantically, only to see him dematerialising as well. But unlike the others, he didn't disappear into nothing; but rather slowly evaporating into white dust.

Chu Qiao reached out desperately, not wanting him to leave. She didn't know why; she was supposed to despise him, but instead she she somehow wanted him back, memories of him flooding through her mind, taking over her consciousness, making her heart break into pieces, shards of pain that pierced through her heart and soul and body and _belief,_ making her question her identity. _Am I doing what's right? Should I have left him? What should I do now?_

"Yuwen Yue…" she cried out, her voice ragged and torn. Tears spilled out from her eyes, blurring her vision. She cried his name again and again, as if by doing so he would magically appear in front of her again.

She crumpled to the floor again, closing her eyes in defeat, wishing that he would come back, that she would wake up soon, that there would be another chance for her to make things right…

She could almost see that unwavering, half-smirking smile of his, staring down at her as he berated her just for the sake of being able to spend time alone with her together. She cried even harder than before, letting her frustration and bitterness carry away over the wind and rain.

Then a chasm opened beneath her, swallowing her entirely, not even giving her time to react. Chu Qiao let her body fall, not wanting to care about anything anymore, not wanting to know what would happen to her, not wanting to return to reality and face all those other hurdles…

 _Let it all go,_ she thought. _Let it all go._

Chu Qiao woke up in a cold sweat, her whole body shivering with fright. She blinked and checked her surroundings, yawning slightly as she did so. For a moment, she forgot where she was, rubbing her red eyes tiredly.

 _Where is this place again?_ she thought, frowning as she realised she didn't know where she was. Then she remembered the happenings of the day before. _Xiao Yu…forest...fight...Yuwen Yue...Yuwen Yue! Where is he? Is he safe?_

Chu Qiao frantically looked around her, wanting to find out where Yuwen Yue was and whether he was safe and sound. Then she realised that he was lying beside her, an arm around her waist, his presence comforting yet cold. He was sleeping soundly, various cuts and bruises visible on his skin. Chu Qiao realised that her wounds had been bandaged and treated and were healing perfectly fine- _he must've used the medicine all on my injuries,_ Chu Qiao thought, touched by his bold actions that clearly showed his caring intentions.

 _Touched?_ A small voice at the back of her head said. _Were you touched when he took the blame for Yuwen Xi's death? Were you touched when he fought off the attackers in the forest because you were injured? Were you touched when he saved you during the battle of Hong Chuan and risked being caught by the Yanbei soldiers? Were you touched when he rescued you so many times from death?_

 _Were you?_

Sparks of regret crept up her spine, choking her throat with nostalgia and sorrow. She coughed instinctively, forcing herself not to cry, but tears still formed at the corner of her eyes, urging her to bawl her eyes out. She took a deep breath and sat up straight in the bed, pulling herself together. Swallowing her emotions and all unpleasant memories, Chu Qiao once again became the tough, steady person that she was.

She firmly tapped the sleeping Yuwen Yue's shoulder in an attempt to wake him up. The man she'd harboured so many complicated feelings for instantly creased his already furrowed eyebrows even further, opened his eyes with a start and was immediately alert and completely awake. He blinked once, looked at Chu Qiao in bewilderment, kept his cool and sat up in bed beside her, not bothering to retract the arm that was around her waist, but rather tightened his grip on her, slightly surprised when Chu Qiao didn't react in any way.

"Sleep good?" He asked nonchalantly, gazing into her eyes deeply, as if about to penetrate her very being, boring into her body and soul, his gaze demanding yet soft and kind.

Chu Qiao was unsurprised by his innocent pretence. She knew that it was just another of his ways of conveying the message that he hadn't a single care in the world, but she knew otherwise.

 _Especially when it comes to matters that involves you and him,_ Chu Qiao reasoned . _You owe him so much, though…_

 _How will you ever repay him?_ Chu Qiao wondered. _He's done so much for you. Thank the heavens that he's still alive, so you still have the chance to return all that he's sacrificed and done for your miserable sake._

 _Although he was so close to dying_ … she mused solemnly.

 _Which is why you left. No going back now, you know. What's done is done and will remain so. No second chances._

 _But was leaving Yan Xun really the right choice?_ she thought. _Without you there in Yanbei to prevent him from becoming the slave of revenge and power, what kind of monstrosity will he turn into? Did you make a selfish choice, or a rightful one? What will happen next? How will Yanbei be-_

"Can you answer me, or are you dead?" Yuwen Yue asked with both his eyebrows arched, his voice jolting Chu Qiao from her deep thoughts.

 _Fine then, Yuwen Yue. Two can play at this game of false pretence, anyway. Bring it on._

"Not at all, Yuwen Yue. As a matter of fact, I'm perfectly alive. What do you think?" Chu Qiao gave him her best fake smile, returning the gaze that he was giving her back in a mocking manner.

"Well, I think that you should really ask Xiao Ce to stock up more on medicinal supplies." Yuwen Yue gazed back in an equally fake manner, though he did not return the smile. He simply didn't do smiling. Chu Qiao realised that he was trying to tell her that the medicine had run out, and that he'd used it up on her, although he probably knew that she'd found that out already.

Chu Qiao kept this pretence up, shrugging nonchalantly while keeping a perfect poker face.

"The medicine's run out? I didn't know that. Well, I really have to go, so why don't you ask him yourself? I'm sure that wouldn't be extremely hard for such a spymaster like you, right, Yuwen Yue?" And with that, Chu Qiao firmly tugged his arm away from her side, jumped down from the bed, and strode out the door.

Haha. Biggest overstatement of the century. Chu Qiao stumbled as soon as she touched the ground, pain in her side shooting up her spine, causing her to arch her back in agony. Her knees turned to nothing more than jelly, and she fell to the side, grimacing from the pain in her abdomen, but hating herself for being so weak. She braced herself for the pain of the impact that would follow, knowing that it would still probably hurt less than what she was feeling right now.

But the pain never came. A pair of arms wrapped around her body in an instant, preventing the fall and the damage that would have occurred if she had fallen. She could feel Yuwen Yue's strong and steady pulse beside her ear, her heart beating faster than ever.

Yuwen Yue strengthened his grip on Chu Qiao, as if he wanted to meld her into his body. He pulled her closer, his hands wrapped around her seamlessly, as if they were made for her body. His sharp, jagged chin rested on her head gently, his soft yet bitter lips coming into contact with her forehead, making her generate feverish sensations that she normally would've considered indecent.

"You really have got a death wish, haven't you, Xing'er," he whispered into her ear huskily. His voice was so soft, yet so clear… _Stop it, idiot, you're getting ahead of yourself._

 _I have to talk to someone. Someone…that's not him. I have to get out of here, and find Xiao Ce…I have to talk to him. Ask him what I should do. After all, he's never failed to be there for me._

The thought hit home as she realised that it wasn't just Xiao Ce, but also another person, that had never failed to be there for her.

 _Shut up! Get a hold of yourself, idiot. You're supposed to be a tough, strong female general, not a wishy-washy, easily-swayed woman!_ Chu Qiao thought.

Yuwen Yue helped her up, paying extra attention as to not make contact with her wounds. She felt him wince as he did so, knowing that it was caused by his own pain from the fight earlier.

Chu Qiao gently removed herself from his grasp, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I have to go," she said softly, taking a step away from Yuwen Yue. "I have to go." Her voice was more tense now.

Yuwen Yue said nothing, gazing at her intently, doing nothing to make her stay. He sat on the edge of the bed, giving her that intense look that'd always made her insides go up in flames.

Determined to get away from the burning sensation that was slowly building up in her body, taking over her senses and consciousness, Chu Qiao turned around and walked away defiantly, not taking a single look back.

But little did she know, just two feet behind her, a Cheshire cat grin was on Yuwen Yue's face, him barely keeping from laughing out loud, his smile so genuine and glad.

Little did she know indeed.

Chu Qiao walked firmly towards where she predicted Xiao Ce would be-near some garden of some kind, either picking on one of his servants for not arranging the flowers properly, or flirting with another. The only minor problem-she had no idea where she was.

 _Hold up. I do know where I am,_ she perceived. _Xiao Ce told me we were heading for one of the manors he had built along the way. Judging by the distance we travelled and the time I spent unconscious, we should be in manor number two- Nightingale Manor._

Finally grasping her surroundings, Chu Qiao walked briskly to the gardens, memorising the immediate vicinity around her. She'd gotten the layout of the manors constructed along their journey from Xiao Ce when he'd asked her over to discuss their plans and journey, so she knew where she was going-she just wasn't familiar with it in real life.

She did in fact find him in the manor gardens, leaning against a fence neatly placed as a safety barrier in front of a couple of beautiful rose bushes, knee-high plants and other unknown flowers that further complimented the beauty of the garden.

"Finally, you're here, Qiao Qiao. The perfect touch to my garden." Xiao Ce flashed her a wide, toothy smile, creasing his slender eyebrows into thin strokes of black.

Xiao Ce hadn't expected Qiao Qiao to wake up that soon; rather, he'd would have thought she would continue to slumber until her wounds could fully heal, which would've been in a couple more days. Three, maybe four? But again against all odds, she'd managed to regain consciousness after just a single night.

 _Must've been the magic touch of our all-seeing, all-feeling spymaster,_ he thought, silently smirking to himself. He really hoped Qiao Qiao would see it as his usual way of expressing his greetings.

But as he glanced at her pale, seemingly weak form, Xiao Ce noticed that she wasn't her normal self. Even when she was taking cover from siege or recovering from injuries, the Chu Qiao he knew would still remain her impassive, authoritative self, but today was different. Her eyes had lost its innocent shine, now appearing to Xiao Ce as if they were deflated of its usual confidence and vigour. Nevertheless, her shoulders were that little bit slumped, yet presenting an image of endurance and resolution. Her presence as a whole hadn't changed save that tiny bit, appearing to an average person as her regular determined self.

Xiao Ce knew otherwise.

"So, what brings your mesmerising persona to my garden? I assume it's not just my charming charisma." Xiao Ce flicked a strand of hair that was getting in his way, and discreetly stole a look at Chu Qiao, wanting to know how extreme her mood was today.

"Of course not, Xiao Ce." He noticed she'd called him by his actual name and not some teasing nickname or the name of his royal position. Which only led him to believe further that she wasn't here just for a chat about the blooming roses and violets. Which, very honestly, was a conversation Xiao Ce would far more enjoy having.

"You should know very well how _un-charming_ this charm of yours is," she quietly stated, a half-hearted attempt at a joke. Xiao Ce didn't laugh.

"So can we find somewhere else to talk?" She put emphasis on the word "talk", meaning instead of talk, she wanted to have a long rambling heart-to-heart about the major issues in her life. Which, really, only boiled down to three major things: Yuwen Yue, Yan Xun and her plans after getting to Liang. Xiao Ce really, _really_ hoped it was the latter. The other two were much tougher subjects to tackle.

"Sure," Xiao Ce said with a fake-grin accompanying it. "I should get out of this place anyway. Y'know, hay fever and all…" He trailed off, knowing very well that Chu Qiao knew he was bluffing.

They walked to his quarters, Xiao Ce leading the way even though he was fairly sure she knew her way around already. They'd discussed the blueprints of the rest stops they were going to once, two days after she'd brought up her wanting to leave Yanbei. She'd been quite impressed by his keen efforts to create such luxurious manors upon such short notice, what with Xiao Ce being there in discretion and all.

Xiao Ce tried his best to keep the jovial mood passing around, telling Chu Qiao the ludicrous details of his past servants-how they'd been shocked to discover that their master wasn't at all what they'd expected him to be; how he'd shrugged their occasional disobedience off with what many would consider an extremely light punishment and so forth. Chu Qiao let the corners of her lips turn up ever so slightly at each hilarious moment, allowing a fraction of her discomfort to dissipate through his jokes and tales.

Having reached his rooms, Xiao Ce sauntered in and ordered all the servants to get out and stay outside of at least ten metres from his quarters with the best serious-but-not-so-serious look he could pull on his face, although there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that made him want to throw up and leave. They willingly obeyed, at once scattering amongst one another into the wide courtyard outside. Xiao Ce very nearly smiled at the notion that they were probably terrified of him berating them for not treating the flowers properly, but cut back once he remembered Chu Qiao's current feelings and the tense mood that hung in the air.

They stood there side by side, Qiao Qiao vacantly looking at some immaterial decoration placed by the side of his lavish bed. The tension amplified quickly, what with Xiao Ce not knowing what Chu Qiao wanted to talk about, and she seemingly not willing to talk about it.

Xiao Ce made an effort to look as casual as possible, strolling to his bed and sitting down, leaning against the wooden bedpost while swinging one leg over another. Unfortunately, Chu Qiao didn't seem to notice.

 _Oh god oh god oh god what does she want to talk about?_ This was more like what his brain was going through, instead of what he hoped Qiao Qiao would interpret as _I will have a perfectly mature and responsible conversation with you, and I will not freak out and say things like "Your hair is pretty" or "You smell nice"._

Finally, Qiao Qiao spoke.

"Do you think he _gave up on me_?" The words lingered in the air, seeping through Xiao Ce's mind, mystifying his clouded thoughts, wafting through his disheveled senses, penetrating his very essence.

Xiao Ce flinched at the solitary question- _Well then. So this is about Yuwen Yue._

He'd gone to his wits' end to save her multiple times, got reprimanded by his father because of her, even triedtoforget about _her,_ but guess what? In the end, he would never be hers. And she would never be his.

The thought nearly made him walk away from the conversation; all he wanted to do now was go back to Liang, leave Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao to do whatever they wanted, and when he would finally be alone, just cry, and _cry, and cry._

He looked away from her, blinking back his sorrow but failed as he felt a slight dampness trickle down his sharp, edged jawline. He wiped away his tears of bitterness and jealousy, appearing to be perfectly fine on the outside as he straightened up and gave Chu Qiao a hesitant smile.

But on the inside, his blood churned with resentment.

 _Fu'er… I should have treated you better. Now you hate me, and Qiao Qiao doesn't want to be more than just friends…_

 _Everyone says I'm spoiled. Even I sometimes feel like living under this false cover makes me what I seem to be, rich and wealthy and sexually-driven. But behind all that wealth and those devious, selfish officials, I am no one, forever submerged under this torrent of solitude and hate._

 _Chu Qiao doesn't love you, idiot._ His mind told him, fiercely protesting against _that_ single sentence, one which confirmed his suspicions that'd been rooted to the bottom of his heart ever since he'd met her-

That _she didn't love him._

 _Stop taking pity on yourself, you fool. Qiao Qiao is no more but a friend._

 _No more but a friend_ , he quietly repeated.

 _No more but a friend._

 _No more._

AN: Ooh, that was kinda dark, wasn't it? There will be twists here and there regarding the relationship triangles-I'm following the book series, which happens to fit the plot of this fanfiction better, so I decided to use it :3 In Liang, there is a princess that died for another guy, but Xiao Ce really really likes her. That would be Princess Fu; I'll recheck the books to see whether her full name is stated.

There is also another relationship-Xiao Ba (yes, it's Chu Qiao's sister) and Yuan Song. Well technically, Yuan Song has mixed feelings about her, what with him still in love with Chu Qiao and all. Xiao Ba also used to love Yuwen Yue (Yup, feel free to throw heavy appliances at me now) but in the end fell for Yuan Song and followed him to this place he was assigned to look after, I don't know how to translate the name into English. Heads up, I really don't normally tell my plot or assigned characters in the beginning but this is just so you guys don't throw me off a building cuz the couples aren't canon.

I will continue writing and posting from now on (I'll do my best to post a chapter every 1 to 2 weeks), but there might be delays due to holidays, competitions etc. I might not be able to receive emails about comments and stuff like that while I'm not at school, though. And by that I mean I can't reply, but I hope you know that I'm really thankful for those comments. Thank you for all those people that never failed to support me even without my knowledge, and hopefully we can make this journey together once more.

PS: I have a small confession to make. I actually found out about my school being able to access this site about two weeks ago, but it was the last day of term and I was in very high spirits and so forgot to post this chapter. I am _so_ very sorry for this. :/

-adrenalite1217


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